And you probably know exactly what you have to do in order to lose it.

Am I right?  You have probably read multiple books or are familiar with multiple diets that all work.

Then why aren’t you doing it?

Most people will tell you that all you need is more, “will power”.

I am here to tell you that they couldn’t be more wrong!

Here is why…

According to the latest scientific research, “will power” is a limited resource.

I’m not a scientist, but based on my own personal experience in regards to growth and change and my observations of friends, family and clients over the years, I wholeheartedly agree.

When you “will” yourself to stay away from bad foods (or anything else for that matter), it takes away your ability to concentrate on even the simplest of day to day activities.

For example, when subjects were told not to eat chocolate chip cookies, their persistence in puzzle solving deteriorated. And when they were told to suppress an emotional reaction to a movie, they had problems solving a simple anagram.

In short, any act of suppression is virtually unsustainable…

This is why once you start having to think about other stuff, it becomes almost impossible for you to stay away from the cookies, the burgers, the tacos, the beer, the chips, and the soda.

Even worse, whatever habits you have developed around eating lie deep in your unconscious mind. This dictates your “default” eating choices, and any changes to this using “will power” are met with massive resistance.

And this is a battle you don’t want to fight, because the unconscious mind always wins.

So if you want to get trim, you have to change your unconscious “default” eating choices. It is the only real way to get results that stick – and it is a whole lot easier…

How do you work with the unconscious mind, you ask?

Sometimes repetition works, and establishing rituals (even rituals require much willpower for the first 30 days or so) can help…

But the only method that is validated by current science and mainstream organizations like The American Medical Association is called medical hypnosis.

Hypnosis is basically the study of creating unconscious changes. Over 80 years of clinical research have demonstrated that with the aid of hypnosis, people are able to have control where they had none before.

Get this: at the University of Iowa they are doing MRI studies where you actually see the brain shutting off feelings of pain in the brain. . . all under hypnosis.

If hypnosis can teach you to block pain, it certainly can help you change your eating habits.

But make sure you get the real thing. You don’t want help from a ”stage hypnotist” – you want to find someone with a proven clinical track record.  And finding somebody in person with a proven track record for weight loss is extremely difficult.

This is why it is sometimes better to find a home-use program. And the program with the best track record in the industry was created by Dr. Roberta Temes (author of a hypnosis textbook used in medical schools).

I have helped many people lose weight over the years but unfortunately, I have also seen the many of them gain it back within a few months to a few years due to underlying fears and unconscious issues.

That is why when I (and many doctors and other health professionals) now work with clients who desire to lose weight and/or fat, I recommend Dr. Temes program.

It goes in deep to address the roots of the problem, which by the way is not food!

Simply put, it works and it works well…

Over 50,000 people have now used this program, and the satisfaction rate is 92%.

This means that over 9 out of 10 people are able to change their eating behaviors and get the slim body they deserve
using her hypnosis sessions.

This program is like no other in that it works with any eating plan or “diet”.

The publisher provides you with a year to try the program, and they even let you sample it for 28 days by just paying shipping. So if you struggle with, “will power” – then this program is truly a, “no brainer”.

Click the link below to find out more…

http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/hypnosis/ewl/special?hn=2182

Kind Regards,

Anthony

P.S. Here are some stories from some users of this program:

“I am now down 20 pounds and still have not had any problems with stress eating (my lifetime habit is to overeat). I am into a size 16 from a 20/22 and people are finally beginning to notice. I personally thank you for your program even though I don’t understand how it works. I amstarting to like who I see in the mirror.”

Syndi Ellison
Advertising & Finance Manager
Washington State Magazine

“I had an addiction to sugar and my weight problems were so severe I was thinking of bypass surgery. I tried hypnosis programs in the past. Some programs made me tense and uncomfortable; the power of others seemed

to fade away. Within the first week I was getting obvious results. Since I started the program I’ve lost 30 pounds and I keep dropping them. My addiction to sugar is pretty much gone and decisions to turn down foods
are easy.”

Cynthia Roderick
Photographer
South Deerfield, Massachusetts

http://www.hypnosisnetwork.com/hypnosis/ewl/special?hn=2182

Me?

Yes, you!

Well, don’t we all have issues?  I mean everyone does.  Right?

Yes, but how about for now we just focus on ourselves and leave everyone else out of the equation.

Most of us don’t realize it, but when we say things like, “Don’t we all?” or some other all inclusive type statement, we are minimizing, rationalizing and stepping away from true ownership of and responsibility for our “stuff” and the work we could be doing to awaken and move to the next level of our development.  It’s a very clever and subtle cop out!

Today, I’d like to share a quick exercise meant to pull up and identify some of these issues.

It’s an exercise meant to show us how we project our strengths and weaknesses onto others.

You will need a piece of paper and something to write with.

I’ll wait right here.

Your back.  Good!

Okay, let’s get right into it…

1.  Make a list of the people you dislike or who give you the most difficulty in life.

2.  Make a list of the traits or the things about them that you dislike the most.

3.  Now make a list of all the people you look up to or admire in some way.

4.  Make a list of the traits about these people that you like the most.

5.  Now take the list of the characteristics you hate and take a good look at it.

6.  Take the list of the characteristics you love and look at it.

Do you realize that you are essentially looking into a mirror?

That all people are essentially mirrors that are reflecting ourselves back to us?

The traits you dislike the most about another person or people are likely the ones you dislike the most about yourself.

You may not be able to see it because we often disown these things, deeming them bad or unacceptable.  Truth is, they are part of us and when we try to deny them, they go underground become unrecognizable and cause us problems.

Likewise, the traits or characteristics that you admire about others have also been disowned and you are not allowing yourself to be your best by getting in touch with and cultivating these great qualities.

I used the phrase, “disowned” but another way we could say it is that we are “out of touch” with these traits in ourselves and seeing them in others.

As an example, I know a woman who is very paranoid, angry and controlling who is constantly at odds with all the “mean and angry control freaks” who are always trying to get over on her that she just seems to runs into all the time.

They’re everywhere!  The clerk at the store.  The waiter, waitress or bartender.  The vet.  You get the point!

I have seen her in action.  I have seen her create enemy after enemy out of some very caring, open and honest people.

She is also a good example of the converse.  She meets certain people, quickly sings their praises and puts them on a pedestal before ever getting to know them.

I have seen her idealize some pretty silly people who were very underdeveloped.

So what is the point of all of this?  What is the moral of the story?

The point is this:  Wake up!  Stop projecting these things about yourself onto others and take responsibility for them and yourself.

It is never about them…good or bad.

It is about you!

There is much power in really seeing that and integrating it into yourself.  It will help you see things more accurately and it gives you more of a choice about the quality of “you” that you create and share with world.

It will help you step up your game, so to speak.

And that to me is good news!

Until next time…

Kind Regards,

A

Todays post is going to be a short and quick one…

The sun is smiling, the ocean is calling and after the two challenging days I’ve just had, I need to practice some self-care and hit the beach for some much needed rejuvenation.

So let’s get down to it…

Although it is much more involved and complex than “just doing it”, we really only need to do two simple things to achieve optimal health.

When I refer to health, I include the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual dimensions of ourselves and our lives.

These dimensions cannot be separated and encompass the totality of who we are and ultimately determine the quality of our experience on this planet.

Imbalance in one will, sooner or later, subvert the whole system.

For example, you could eat right, exercise, sleep well and have a clean bill of health from your doctor (physical) but be disconnected from your values and any kind of purpose in your life (spiritual), have no real relationships of depth or conflict with your wife, lover, kids (emotional) and be a very unhappy, unsatisfied or lonely person.

Or…

You could have an amazing spouse or lover in your life, lots of friends, a great job, but be completely out of shape or physically unhealthy and unable to fully enjoy these hard earned blessings.

Or…

Have a deep and rich spiritual life with a clear and powerful sense of purpose and mission but not have the energy to effectively share your gifts with the world.

It’s about balance…

So it is important to attend to the emotional and spiritual as well as the mental and physical.

So what are these two things?

Drum roll please…

1. Out with the bad – remove or improve the bad things in your life.
2. In with the good – add good things to your life.

“What!”  ”That’s it?”  ”I want my money back chump!”

Yep, that’s it!

Would you like me to be a little more specific?

Removing or improving the Bad

When I say bad, I am referring to anything that causes any kind of burden on the four categories of your health. These can include but are not limited to:

• Unnecessary stress
• A nutrient deficient, processed diet
• Allergens
• Toxins in your body, home or at work
• Infections
• Unresolved conflicts with others that are ongoing
• No sense of direction of purpose
• No clear idea of what is TRULY important to you
• Unhealthy relationships

This list can obviously go on and on but it is important to identify and eventually remove or improve everything.

We just can’t take out a thing or two but most of us can’t do it all at once either.

Take on too much too soon and you will likely fail.

Adding the good

The next thing to do is to put in the good things.

These include:

• High quality, whole foods
• Good, clean, PH balanced water
• Exercise and movement
• Love
• Healthy relationships
• A sense of purpose and direction
• Relaxation
• Meditation
• Good stress (things that challenge us and help us grow by testing us, pushing our unseen buttons, exposing our blind spots and raising the bar of what we can handle)

Obviously, this list could go on and on as well but when we add these good things our bodies and Life itself will take over and do the rest.

That is it!

This seems like common sense and is so simple but we often don’t do so good with simple.  Note that I didn’t say easy?

Change is not what we are trying for, change is something that is continually happening and does not need our help.

What we are ultimately moving towards is transformation and that is an ongoing process.

It bears repeating over and over that there are many things that are good for all of us, but we must also remember that each person has a unique biology and biography and therefore their own particular triggers and needs.

What harms me drastically or holds me back from being my best may not harm you at all.  In fact it may help you!

Again, this is an intentionally short post and there is so much more to this.

In the coming weeks, I am going to go into more detail and do a post on each of the four aspects of health – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual and how we can understand how they specifically support and feedback on one another.

That way we can learn to leverage them in the service of living a happy and authentic life.

Until next time…

Kind regards,

Anthony

Again, please forgive the mess.  The site is under construction and not looking it’s best, but when the new format is unleashed, look out!

Okay, so let’s get right into it…

As many of you know, there can be many different causes for one “disease.”

In the past, I used the example of depression, which could be caused by one’s thyroid, a deficiency in folic acid, blood sugar disturbances, hidden infections, deficiency of omega-3 fats, low testosterone and so on.

Today,  I’d like to flip the coin and turn to gluten in order to illustrate how one thing can be the cause of many problems and so called “diseases.”

Of course, this is if one is sensitive to gluten…which more of you are than you may think.

I was doing some research for a client awhile back and found a review in the New England Journal of Medicine that listed over 50 diseases that can be caused by eating gluten.

That was not a typo!

Many of the diseases are neurological and psychiatric.  Among them are depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, migraines, neuropathy, anxiety, dementia, and autism.

I know this first hand.

Before I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and food allergies, I had seizures and was actually diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy, depression, peripheral neuropathy and ADD (I’m still a bit of space cadet!).

There were times when I definitely didn’t feel or act like I was right in the head but when I identified the food allergies and removed them along with the gluten the seizures stopped, the depression lifted and I slowly but surely became me again and then some.

Back then, we didn’t know what we know now, so it was no easy task and took many years.

It often takes a very long time – up to 10 years for a person in the U.S to get diagnosed with Celiac disesase as opposed to the three years it takes in Europe and Japan – to get an accurate diagnosis.

It can be a tough one to pinpoint if we or our doctors are uninformed and in that time, much damage…physical, mental, emotional and financial can and usually does occur.

That is why I have such a passion for helping others in the same boat.  I know what it is like to feel like you are losing control of your body, mind and as a consequence, your life.

I know what it is like to go to doctor after doctor getting misdiagnosed or put on unnecessary medications that only make things more complicated and confusing.

I know what it is like to be completely misunderstood and viewed as a little weird or crazy by friends, family and uninformed health care providers only later to have them apologize or say that they knew it all along!

I also know what it is like to take matters into my own hands, do the research, figure it out and reclaim my health and life.

Many others share a similar story…

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other grains such as oats, rye, spelt, kamut, barely, triticale.

Why is gluten so bad for so many of us?

There are numerous reasons.  For starters, we have not genetically adapted to the  grasses, mainly gluten, that were introduced to our diets in the Middle Ages.

Thirty percent of people of European descent carry the gene for celiacs disease.  This greatly increases their likelihood of having health problems from eating gluten.

In what ways can gluten negatively affect the brain?

First, gluten can inflame the brain by causing an autoimmune response.  Autoimmunity is an abnormal response to the body’s own tissues.

In other words, something comes into the body and the body goes on alert but somehow mistakes its own tissues as a foreign invader and declares war mistakenly upon itself.

Allergies are a prime example.  In this case, antibodies meant to fight gluten also attack your body.

Secondly, during the digestion process, gluten can be broken down into into strange proteins that are a lot like psychedelic drugs.  These are opium-like proteins called gluteomorophins.

As you can probably imagine, these can drastically change brain function and behavior.  When is the last time someone dropped acid and smoked some opium and maintained their mental homeostasis?

So does this mean gluten can make music sound better and colors more vivid?

Hell yeah man!

I love eating bread, putting on some music, turning on my strobe light and tripping out on my old Jimmy Hendrix and Pink Floyd posters!

All bad jokes aside, I don’t think that is the type of psychedelic experience anyone is looking for.

I don’t foresee a high (pun intended) gluten bread coming out bearing the Grateful Dead’s logo anytime soon.  Cherry Garcia was pushing it!

But I digress…

The third way gluten can affect the brain is due to its high content of glutamate (think MSG), a molecule that accelerates, activates, irritates and damages brain cells through a special “docking station” called the NMDA receptor.

Excessive activity in this receptor due to glutamate has been linked to many psychiatric disorders.  Glutamate is an excitotoxin (a substance that agitates and kills or damages brain cells).

So to summarize, these are the three ways gluten can harm the brain:

• Through inflammation
• As psychedelic, opiate-like proteins
• As an excitotoxin

Believe it or not, this is just the tip of the iceberg with gluten.

It can also cause arthritis and other autoimmune and inflammatory diseases/conditions.

However, I just wanted to stick mainly with the brain stuff for todays post.

I’d love to hear what you have to say so please feel free to leave a comment below.

Until next time…

Kind Regards,

Anthony

Please excuse the mess.  I am in the process of remodeling the entire site but still wanted to respond to an important question I received via email the other day.

A reader was a bit upset about the price of organic food in her area and was wondering exactly which foods were the the dirtiest and therefore an absolute must to eat organic and which ones were safe to buy in their commercial, less expensive form.

I can completely relate!  I just had this conversation with my girlfriend at Wholefoods yesterday while briefly holding and then setting down a small bunch of organic asparagus that cost about seven dollars!

Obviously, growing your own is ideal, but many of us cannot or do not for various reasons.

So, for those of us who cannot or do not grow our our own, here is a list of the dirtiest commercial foods that should only be eaten in their organic forms when possible.

The dirtiest foods that should always be purchased organic:

• Strawberries – At 302 lbs of pesticide per acre, they are the worst fruit.
• Peaches
• Dates
• Pears
• Cherries
• Cabbage
• Lemons
• Apples
• Cucumbers
• Cantaloupe
• Celery
• Spinach
• Peppers of all kinds
• Root vegetables of all kinds
• All meat -Beef should be grass-fed; chicken and eggs should be organic and free-range; fish should be wild-caught; pork and lunch meat should be completely avoided.
• Dairy – Those of you who know me, know I am not down with dairy.  If you want to know why then click  here.  If you are going to consume dairy, make sure it is raw, unpasteurized and comes from grass-fed cows that are not treated with hormones and antibiotics.  Finding raw cheese from grass-fed cows is not difficult but finding the milk may be somewhat of a challenge depending on where you live.

For some of us, going organic seems hard to fit into the budget and I completely understand.  However, I would also say that our health should be our most important investment.

Without our health we have nothing!

That being said, there is surely some way to adjust the budget in order to add more clean and healthy foods to our diet and increase the quality of our lives.

Seriously… many of us don’t think twice about spending money on frivolous things or on things that are not necessary, useful or important.

Think cable TV, eating out, expensive vacations when we have all these amazing state parks, driving your car when you can walk or take public transportation.

We also just flat out waste our money.  Think leaving lights or other appliances on while not at home or in the room (MLO would bust me on that!) or blasting heat when we can put on an extra layer of clothing or the air conditioning when a fan will do or windows can be opened.

I’d even take things a step further and venture to say that many of us spend our money on things that are flat out harmful.  Think fast food, junk food, cola, alcohol, cigarettes, gambling, tanning beds…

Hell, I’m currently in South Florida and see people every day who spend thousands on plastic surgery to look better but turn around and party, eat garbage food and get fake tans!

It’s really a matter of examining and getting back in touch with our deeper values and adjusting our priorities…

Do you consider your health to be the largest piece of your wealth?

I’d love your feedback on this one so please leave a comment!

Be on the lookout in the next couple of days for a list of the foods that are the cleanest and okay to eat in their non-organic, commercial form.

Until then…

Kind Regards,

A

A moment ago I received an email regarding my last Facebook post. In it a young woman asked if I meant to say what I said in the last sentence of said post or if it was an accidental tongue twister.

I meant it…

Here is the exact post, cut and pasted:

Awareness is the ultimate remedy.

Actually, I should say Awareness in action.

It dissolves our illusions in the same way that the radiance of the sun dissolves the clouds in the sky.

That’s why a daily practice such as meditation is so important.

Not as a means to achieve or become anything but to remember to remember whatever it is we need to remember without trying to remember, so that eventually we don’t forget!

Yes I meant that last sentence and I’ll say it again.

Meditation should not be used as a means to achieve or become anything but as vehicle to remember to remember whatever it is we need to remember without trying to remember, so that eventually we don’t forget!

Remember what and why?

Remember what, not who (that’s dualistic ego stuff) you really are because from there you operate unobstructed by your fears, beliefs, conditioning and general effedupness.

All effort must be dropped, everything must be dropped if Awareness or Being or Spirit or your authentic self or whatever you call it is to arise and hang around.

In Japanese Zen they use the word Shikantaza, which literally means just sitting, to describe meditation.

That sounds simple enough and it is but it is not so EASY with our crazy minds and jumpy bodies.

That’s why they call it a practice!

Well, that’s all I got today. Not in the mood to wax deep or poetic.

Until next time…

Kind regards,
Anthony

Generally, the rule of thumb is to follow the instructions on the container.

If you look, many supplements instruct you to store them in a cool, dry place. I agree and would add to that, out of direct light. This is for a good reason.

Another thing to consider, one that many of us overlook, is the fact that much of what we are now calling supplements are actually food. That is great news but that being the case, we need to be mindful of how, where and for how long we store them.

This is especially important for items that require refrigeration to avoid spoiling or going rancid. These include but are not limited to: superjuices, certain nuts and seeds, seed and nut powders and butters, and certain oils such as flax or fish oil.

Another reason for refrigeration is to avoid loss of potency. Many probiotics and all superjuices would fall into this category.

Okay, now I want to discuss where you should never store your supplements.

Anyone care to take a guess?

If you said the bathroom, you are correct!

I don’t like to use the word never, so I will back down a bit and say you should really avoid storing your supplements in the bathroom.

I travel quite a bit and have noticed from staying in the homes of friends, family and others that it is a common practice for many people to keep their vitamins and other supplements in the bathroom, usually the medicine cabinet if they have one.

Bad idea!

According to Lisa Mauer, a food scientist at Purdue University, we should never store our vitamins in the bathroom. She warns that the strong humidity can eliminate their benefits by chemically changing their composition…even if the lids are on tight.

“Opening and closing a package will change the atmosphere in it. If you open and close a package in a bathroom, you add a little bit of humidity and moisture each time.”

Mauer said crystalline substances — including vitamin C, some forms of vitamin B and other dietary supplements — may undergo deliquescence, a process in which humidity causes the water-soluble solid to dissolve similar to how sugar cakes in the summer.

According to Maur, once humidity or temperature is brought back down, the product will solidify, but the damage has been done. Depending on how long a person takes a shower, the humidity of the bathroom can go as high as 98 percent.

Mauer’s findings were published in the online version of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Like I stated, it is best to follow the directions on the container. If it is unlabeled such as the case with many bulk items or you are uncertain, look it up.

Let’s face it, investing in our health is investing in our happiness. Everything in life depends on it. Without it we have nothing.

That being the case, we invest in it but we invest in it wisely. That especially includes our time and money.

Storing our supplements and foods in ways that preserve their integrity and effectiveness is investing wisely.

Storing our supplements and foods in ways that cause them to lose their potency and therefore their effectiveness or in ways that cause them to go bad and have to be thrown into the trash or the compost is not!

It’s your time, your money and most importantly, your health…

Invest wisely!

Until next time…

Kind Regards,
A

Although I love the snow and have no problem with the cold at all, the dirty indoor air and lack of sunlight gets to me after a while. For better and for worse, I just have one of those sensitive systems.

At some point around January, it becomes somewhat of an effort to maintain my usual physical, mental and emotional equanimity. My immune system gets overburdened and my brain gets a little out of whack.

I can usually remedy that with copious amount of cardiovascular exercise, antioxidants and 5,000 IU’s of vitamin D/day starting in September and ending in May.

However, I much prefer to just eat as much raw, delicious, clean and nutrient rich superfoods as I can, swim a few times a week and take short barefoot runs or long walks on the beach with my lovely other. I’m a big fan of simplicity!

So many people up North get seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or the winter blues and become intolerant and intolerable!

I hate seeing people in that condition and I really hate seeing them go on meds when some vigorous exercise, fresh clean air in their homes and some vitamin D, starting around September and ending in May, would do the trick.

Moving on…

Today I’d like to talk a bit about understanding.

Most people think that we understand things with our minds…

If you really get down to it, you will see that we actually do not.

In reality, the mind is only capable of grasping objects (physical objects and thought objects), mental activity and concepts.

It is ephemeral and like everything in life, is in constant motion and incapable of holding onto any real understanding.

To seek Truth with the thinking, discriminating mind is a huge mistake.

In those moments when the mind thinks it has understood something, the ego does its little dance and wedges it way in. It says, “Ah, I get it. I understand!”

It likes that sense of power, accomplishment and safety it gets from figuring things out. Of course it wants to hold the winning hand, so it then freezes the insight du jour, adds it to the others and tries to make it the truth.

This can and does get us into trouble!

We are sick with our so-called knowledge, beliefs and opinions.

That is why in Zen it is said, “Do not search for the truth; only cease to cherish opinions.”

Note that it is NOT advised to abandon your opinions; that is going to the other extreme. We are merely being advised to stop CHERISHING them. There is nothing wrong with knowledge, beliefs and opinions. They come in handy.

I know what I know and like what I like, so when I am at the grocery store or shopping for a high ticket item, my preferences and (hopefully informed) opinions are useful for me to get in and get out.

I also know from many years of living and meditating, that my opinions, my beliefs, my thoughts aren’t real or true in any absolute or enduring sense. My brain uses them, based on my past experiences “good” and “bad”, to get me through life successfully. Maybe not with perfect skill, compassion or integrity but they get me by.

The ego is just the ego. It has a job to do. It thinks it is us and is always trying to please and protect us. If you have a mature, well developed ego, and the real-time awareness that it is merely a tool that must be picked up and put down like any other tool, this can be very useful.

Whenever any kind of real understanding occurs, at the ACTUAL moment of understanding, the ego is sound asleep. It is not occupying that space.

If we really get down to it, we can never really know anything with absolute certainty. We can just be certain to a greater or lesser degree. That is okay. In fact, there is much freedom in that!

Any TRUE knowledge of anything arises apart from the mind. It dwells in consciousness, in awareness. It resides in the heart.

This can be said of all forms of understanding, including the kind of understanding we might use to bake bread, learn a new language or for us heterosexual men, to figure out a seemingly impossible puzzle like the emotional weather patterns of the woman we love.

Just kidding ladies. We all know there is no hope for us men to ever figure that one out. But we thank you for your patience and the feminine wisdom that makes a space for us men to think we are clever. I learned a long time ago that women are smarter!

****** That last line, my friends, is a perfect example of a useful belief!!! ******

But I digress…

True awareness, true understanding authenticates itself. It is not achieved, nor can it be captured, frozen or experienced through words or thoughts.

We can tell another all about how being in love feels or how avocados taste but until you EXPERIENCE these things for yourself, you will never understand.

When Truth, Awareness, Consciousness, Understanding, Spirit or whatever term you choose to use arises, it just happens. Kind of like slipping on the ice and falling on your ass.

It has always been and always will be present. In fact it is what we really are.

Please don’t take my word for any of this, I’m just some guy who is pointing at something you already know and are by writing a blog.

But I urge you to really look, really inquire WITHOUT using your mind.

Go silently to your heart, awaken to the Truth and make it your life by sharing the gift of who you really are with the world.

Until next time…

Kind Regards,
Anthony

For those of you who are not familiar with Dr. Hyman, he is a pioneer in the field of functional medicine, the star of a recent PBS special, the editor-in-chief of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, the medical editor of Alternative Medicine, and the author of best selling books such as The Ultramind Solution.

Dr. Hyman’s work has played a key role in my recovery from illness and the work I now do with my clients.

Here’s the deal:

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) have cosponsored a new bill misleadingly called The Dietary Supplement Safety Act (DSSA). DSSA would repeal key sections of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), signed into law by then-President Clinton.

This legislation would change current regulation for dietary supplements. It could make many prescription only, limit what is on the market, offer patents to drug companies and in many other ways severely limit access to dietary supplements.

A wide variety of organizations, working together with ANH-USA, have swung into action to stop John McCain’s new bill that threatens dietary supplements. Already thousands of messages are on their way to Capitol Hill in protest. Please be sure that your message is among them.

I encourage you to act now to send a message to your Senator or Congressman. If you have not already done so, please take action now:

http://www.anh-usa.org/new_site/?p=2326

DSHEA protects supplements 1) if they are food products that have been in the food supply and not chemically altered or 2) if they were sold as supplements prior to 1994, the year that DSHEA was passed. If a supplement fits one of these two descriptions, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cannot arbitrarily ban it or reclassify it as a drug. DSHEA provides the framework for effective regulation of dietary supplements by the FDA.

The Dietary Supplement Safety Act (DSSA) would eliminate the supplement protections contained in DSHEA and allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) arbitrary authority to draw up a list of what supplements can be sold and at what potency levels. Europe is currently limiting both supplements and potencies to ridiculous levels. If DSSA passes, the FDA, beholden as it is to drug interests, would move to do the same in the US.

For those of us who manage our own health issues with the help of intelligently used, quality supplements and/or help others do the same, this legislation could have tragic consequences.

I personally know more than a few people, including myself, that could become seriously ill if cut off from certain supplements.

What was once an affordable and empowering way to achieve radiant health and/or manage certain diseases/conditions could become obsolete, ridiculously expensive, completely out of reach or in the greedy hands of big pharma.

Please act now and write to your Senator and Congressman to oppose this legislation.

Please tell everyone you know! Again, here is the link: http://www.anh-usa.org/new_site/?p=2326

Until next time…

Kind Regards,
Anthony

One of the great advantages the people in this part of the country have is the vast array of cutting-edge, healthcare alternatives and practitioners (and unfortunately, silly New Age “healers” who waste people’s time and money, often doing more harm than good…but that is another post entirely!) to choose from. I knew this before I arrived here but I have to say that the quality and quantity (of both skilled practitioners AND silly New Age “healers”!) has far exceeded my expectations.

While here, I have had the opportunity to meet, work with and learn from some exceptional indivuals and can honestly say that the people around here are in good hands. Whether they reach those hands is their responsibility but they are here to help and help they will!

If I would have lived around here when I first started experiencing the symptoms of CFIDS and Celiac disease 12 years ago, I would have been spared years of suffering and confusion, not to mention tens of thousands of dollars. But I didn’t and that is okay because I would not know what I know and do what I do.

Moving on…

Today, I would like to share a little information on CFIDS, otherwise known as Chronic fatique immune deficiency syndrome or simply Chronic fatigue syndrome. I would like to thank the good folks at The Arizona Center for Advanced Medicine for being such a valuable resource.

Chronic fatigue (immune deficiency) syndrome, CFIDS, is a clinically defined condition characterized by debilitating fatigue, persistent for over 6 months, with associated muscle pains, tender lymph nodes, joint pains, low grade fevers, and problems with focus and memory.

Chronic fatigue is estimated to affect almost 1% of the population, and is not limited to white Caucasian middle aged females, as previously thought, but is found in all age groups, races, and economic strata. About twice as many women as men are affected.

However, men (surprise, surprise) are also more likely to due to societal pressures revolving around money and “strength” to keep plugging away or calling it something else despite their symptoms. Many self-medicate and dig themselves deeper by not seeking help. I know this all too well. No man wants to be perceived as “weak” or unable to be productive and successful financially and career/education-wise.

In the future, I will devote an entire post to the topic of CFIDS in men.

Back to our story…

CFIDS is not a condition which fits neatly into the allopathic model of illness. Diagnosis is made by ruling out all other “treatable” causes of fatigue. There are no definitive diagnostic tests. Patients suffering from chronic fatigue are often diagnosed with depression or other neuro-psychiatric labels.

Diagnostic criteria, as defined by the International Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Work Group, are as follows:

* Clinically evaluated, unexplained, persistent or relapsing chronic fatigue that is of new or definite onset

[has not been lifelong]; is not the result of ongoing exertion; is not substantially alleviated by rest; and

results in substantial reduction in previous levels of occupational, educational, social, or personal activities;

and

* The concurrent occurrence of four or more of the following symptoms, all of which must have persisted or

recurred during 6 or more consecutive months of illness and must not have predated the fatigue:

1. Self-reported impairment in short-term memory or concentration severe enough to cause substantial

reduction in previous levels of occupational, educational, social, or personal activities;

2. Sore throat;

3. Tender cervical or axillary lymph nodes;

4. Muscle pain, multi-joint pain without joint swelling or redness;

5. Headaches of a new type, pattern, or severity;

6. Unrefreshing sleep; and postexertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours

By these criteria, chronic fatigue syndrome could very well be a disease of mitochondria – the tiny organelles inside cells which are responsible for energy production. There is some evidence for this. One study showed abnormal mitochondrial function in a subgroup of patients with abnormal lactate responses to exercise (production of lactic acid occurs when there is insufficient energy to fully utilize all the glucose presented to the cell).

Chronic viral or fungal infection is another possible causative factor. Some commonly performed tests are those for chronic viral infection (Ebstein-Barr virus, for example), Candida albicans, and immunologic function including cell population analysis. None of these tests is specific for CFIDS, but they may indicate contributing causes.

Although, the right kind and the right amount of exercise can help dramatically, most people with chronic fatigue syndrome have a significantly decreased ability to exercise. Decreased production of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system may also be a factor.

Excessive body burden of heavy metals is another possibility. Heavy metals can cause significant loss of function of enzymes which promote the cell’s biochemical reactions, experienced in the body as fatigue.

There is some thought that chronic fatigue is almost always a result of simple toxicity or nutritional imbalance, perhaps early metabolic syndrome, from years of eating the typical non-nutritious American diet of processed foods and sugars.

Author Mary Nash Stoddard has proposed that aspartame poisoning may give rise to a number of health problems including chronic fatigue and Fibromyalgia.

Once the diagnosis is established, allopathic medicine has little to offer in the way of treatment. Common wisdom states that most patients will take over 18 months to recover, although some will remain debilitated for the rest of their lives.

There is no need to suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome. First, one needs to understand that mitochondrial dysfunction results in the generation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Both can irreversibly damage DNA, and even cause cell death. Therefore, taking antioxidants like CoQ-10, glutathione, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and other similar substances can go a long way toward improving mitochondrial function and relieving the symptoms of chronic fatigue. These are sometimes best administered in IV form.

I personally made a huge step forward when I treated my mitochondria. I did this on my own by using specific doses of CoQ-10, alpha lipoic acid, acetyl l-carnitine, D-ribose, creatine and a few other supplements. If anyone wants more info on this cocktail you can reach me through the contact link. I do individualized nutritional and lifestyle counseling that gets results and get results fast. I am however, not a doctor and do not diagnose or treat diseases of any kind.

Second, it is known mitochondrial function is significantly disturbed by heavy metals. Workup for excessive body burden of heavy metals is very appropriate in the chronic fatigue patient.

Third, intolerance to gluten (wheat, barley, rye and a few other grains) and other food items can result in neurologic symptoms like extreme fatigue without any intestinal symptoms at all. Therefore investigation of gluten intolerance and other food sensitivities should be part of the initial work-up. Food intolerance has been shown to increase inflammatory mediators in the body and to erroneously activate the immune system.

Food intolerance may be determined in any one of several ways. The classic elimination diet works well for those who can tolerate its rigors. For those less tolerant, keeping a food and symptom diary may prove very helpful. There are many other ways of diagnosing this condition, including direct provocation tests, blood tests, and the classic intradermal injections.

Food intolerance has also been shown to be related to several other dysfunctions commonly associated with chronic fatigue syndrome: asthma or respiratory distress, inflammatory bowel disease, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

In my case, I just fell apart. First gradually, then suddenly. What I later figured out and my doctors confirmed through a multitude of tests was that I was walking around with several undiagnosed food allergies, undiagnosed Celiac disease, systemic Candidiasis, high levels of Mercury in my system and the collateral damage (like seizures, depression, cognitive impairment, etc.) that comes with not treating these conditions.

How does that happen to a perfectly healthy male athlete in his late twenties who meditates, does yoga, eats a mostly raw, organic, vegetarian diet and has lots of love in his life? That is also another story and parts of it are still a mystery to me and my doctors.

How am I now? Well let’s just say that these things don’t happen over night and they don’t clear up over night but I am definitely well on my way. Healing one’s brain, immune system and digestive tract is a process and it takes time, discipline and a continuous, deep and mindful understanding.

I will say that I am much wiser, much happier, much healthier and living a wonderful life. I am surrounded by intelligent, insightful, supportive, understanding, creative and deeply compassionate people. I have the greatest friends (especially my friends at the Singing Bowl and Fresh Horizons cafe’s in Erie, Pa who continuously create delicious, organic, vegan, gluten and allergy-free works of art…I mean meals for me), mother, son and girlfriend anyone could wish for.

With CFIDS, like many conditions and diseases, knowing is more than half the battle. It is a shame, a tragedy really, that it takes so many years for conventional doctors to figure these things out and that so many false and damaging diagnoses are often given out. Many healthcare providers are often too busy in general, over-focused on their specific modality or over-focused on treating symptoms and so called diseases with pharmaceuticals rather than treating people and looking for the root causes.

My advice to everyone is to take an active role in your healthcare. Ask questions, look into the matter, talk to different doctors and practitioners. Seriously, they work for you. You pay their bills! Don’t be an asshole, but don’t believe what you are told without doing some research and following your gut. We have no excuse these days when there is such an abundance of information and resources out there.

Again, for anyone seeking guidance, please feel free to contact me. I have traveled this path and know how to navigate it. I’d love to meet you and help in any way!

It’s your body, your life, your happiness. Reclaim them!!!

Until next time…

A